The Great Prince Shan eBook

“It is not my custom to dance,” he said,
“but the waltz that they were beginning to play
seemed to me to have a little of the lure of our own
music. Will you do me the honour?”

They moved away to the music. Chalmers stood
and watched them, with one hand in his pocket and
the other on Nigel’s shoulder. He turned
to Naida, who was on the other side.

“Nothing like a touch of melodrama for the emotions,”
he grumbled. “Look at Lady Maggie!
Her head might be touching the clouds, and I never
saw her eyes shine like that when she danced with
me.”

“You don’t dance as well as Prince Shan,
old fellow,” Nigel told him.

“And the Prince sails for China at dawn,”
Naida murmured.

CHAPTER XXXII

Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his
suite upon the Black Dragon and looked around
him critically. The walls were of black oak,
with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had
traced little fanciful figures,—­a quaint
Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
There were hangings of soft, blue silk tapestry, brought
from one of his northern palaces. The cloth which
covered the table was of the finest silk. There
were several bowls of flowers, a couch, and two comfortable
chairs. Through the open doors of the two bedchambers
came a faint glimpse of snow-white linen, a perfume
reminiscent at once of almond blossom, green tea,
and crushed lavender, and in the little room beyond
glistened a silver bath. Already attired for the
voyage, his pilot stood on the threshold.

“Is all well, your Highness?” he asked.

“Everything is in order,” Prince Shan
replied. “Ching Su is a perfect steward.”

“The reverend gentleman is in his room, your
Highness,” the pilot went on. “All
the supplies have arrived, and the crew are at their
stations. At what hour will it please your Highness
to start?”

Prince Shan looked through the open window, along
the wooden platform, out to the broad stretch of road
which led to London.

“I announced the hour of my departure as six
o’clock,” he replied. “I cannot
leave before in case of any farewell message.
Is the woman of whom I spoke to you here?”

“She is in attendance, your Highness.”

“She understands that she will not be required
unless my other passenger should desire to accompany
us?”

“She understands perfectly, your Highness.”

Prince Shan stepped through his private exit on to
the narrow wooden platform. Already the mighty
engines had started, purring softly but deeply, like
the deep-throated murmurings of a giant soon to break
into a roar. It was a light, silvery morning,
with hidden sunshine everywhere. On the other
side of the vast amphitheatre of flat, cinder-covered
ground, the Downs crept upwards, rolling away to the
blue-capped summit of a distant range of hills.
Northwards, the pall of London darkened the horizon.